Lebanon needs a digital declaration of independence

As the US celebrated its Independence Day on July 4, I could not help — as many of my friends know — but state my admiration for the Declaration of Independence the Founding Fathers created. The US has a beautiful story and was a nation born with an inspiring mission.
I was surprised by the images of some US citizens turning their backs on this celebration as a means of protest. I could not help but say to myself, “do they not know how lucky they are?” And I also could not help but draw a parallel with Lebanon. It is interesting to see many self-hating voices in a country that delivers freedom and opportunity like the US, while hearing declarations of love for Lebanon — a country that is robbing its people of freedom and opportunity. It is also interesting to see how we demonize achievers of the past, judging them by today’s standards, while leaving today’s demons unchecked and free to terrorize.
There are many similarities between America’s 1776 Declaration of Independence and what Lebanon is living today. We can replace the tyranny of the king of Britain with the tyranny and occupation of Hezbollah and its band of noblemen political leaders. All the grievances addressed to the king and stated one by one by the signatories of the Declaration of Independence apply to Lebanon today. Every single one, from “quartering large bodies of armed troops among us,” to “plundering our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.” Indeed, Hezbollah’s troops are among us in the city of Beirut and beyond. And last year’s port explosion was an example of how they have destroyed the people’s lives.
So it is time for a new declaration of independence for Lebanon. It is time to break this vicious cycle, which exploits the people and destroys hope and happiness. Let us consider each confessional group that lives in Lebanon as a founding colony and break free from this exploitation. It is time for the people of Lebanon to rebuild. Enough destruction of infrastructure and, more importantly, enough destruction of this nation’s future and its youth.
There is a way for the Lebanese people to seize this chance to build something new thanks to technology: It is time for a blockchain revolution in Lebanon. The centralized state brings only destruction, so it is time to build a decentralized system that will allow the population to lead their lives through their own will. Blockchain allows the people of Lebanon to take back control of their lives.
Blockchain is a technology that relies on peer-to-peer networks and distributed ledgers. To simplify, this means that each Lebanese with a digital device is part of the trusted authority and central server. With this technology, you could bypass the state and create a new system that is validated by the people, not the state.
The key issue is where to start. The start should be a digital declaration of independence to be validated and signed by all Lebanese people. It should be created using blockchain so it cannot be tampered with. This would show that most Lebanese stand against the occupation and seek true independence.
The next step, which seems urgent, is to replace the lira or “lollar” and blockchain is the technology on which cryptocurrencies are built. I will first state that, in countries where the government is preserving the interests of its people, I would not call for such action. But in Lebanon, where the state and financial authorities are cronies and are destroying everything, this is a necessary way to move forward.
Currencies are based on trust and if that disappears the currency will too. There is no trust in the Lebanese currency or central authority, so it is high time to strip them of their monetary sovereignty. There are ways to go about this transition and I call on economic experts and mathematicians to solve the problem. How can we shift people’s current currency assets, which are disappearing in the local banks, into this new digital currency and allow international trade? The answer might allow for international help to be unlocked.
We also need to understand that, while cryptocurrencies are based on blockchain, the technology also allows many more opportunities. Basically, a majority of people are needed to validate everything and keep all the records safe, whether it is a simple transaction or even property rights. The difference is that, instead of having your records held by a single institution, such as a bank, in a blockchain environment your records are kept by the entire peer community. So, once a block is created, it cannot be changed and your rights are protected.
This is something that can be done today. Many large trading companies and institutions, as well as international organizations — some of which are headed by Lebanese — are looking into the technology in an attempt to simplify and streamline processes. This would create a platform for the entrepreneurial spirit and startup ecosystem to thrive independently from the state by developing the needed solutions in a collaborative way. We would, for example, also be able to create a new system of company registration for corporations.
The decentralized management of state affairs might offer hope within a collapsing country such as Lebanon.
The US Declaration of Independence states: “Whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.”

Let us consider each confessional group as a founding colony and break free from this exploitation.

Khaled Abou Zahr

It is time for the Lebanese to be inspired by these great words and act. This is the only way forward. We cannot rely on providential international support if we are not leading the change. Let us move ahead and create this new digital independence and have it recognized by international stakeholders.
This would also be a unique way to empower the leaderless protesters to unite behind a common vision and goal that empowers their various views and beliefs. Lebanon needs to move toward a decentralization process that protects each community and confessional group and clarifies its rights and duties. Let us use today’s technology to create the free and independent states of Lebanon.

• Khaled Abou Zahr is CEO of Eurabia, a media and tech company. He is also the editor of Al-Watan Al-Arabi.